Schneider Electric, Danfoss and Somfy join forces to create a Connectivity Ecosystem for residential, mid-size building and hotel markets

Tuesday, March 20, 2018

The partnership brings connectivity for smart homes and smart buildings to maturity by delivering efficient solutions that are easy to integrate and that work simply together.The connectivity solutions are supported by qualified installers, making them simple and easy for customers to deploy.

The global market for connectivity is growing fast, with an estimated 8.4 Billion* connected devices in 2020. In 2016, fewer than 17% of US homes had any kind of smart home system, and less than 4% in Europe**. Most of these are single-application devices.The challenge is that connectivity is still widely perceived as lacking in simplicity, reliability, interoperability and after-sales support. Installation quality is also an issue, particularly when the installation process is left in the hands of the end users or unqualified installers. Schneider Electric, Danfoss, and Somfy believe it is time for major industrial players to come together to accelerate on connectivity and deliver efficient solutions that work simply together. Through the partnership, the three global leaders bring their own field of expertise in lighting, heating and shutters control that are supported by the expertise and proximity of professional network of installers.

Bringing together the best application expertise“It is a real expertise to control lighting, heating and shutters together in one system that we can now jointly offer by combining more than 300 years of industry expertise - all backed by our extensive professional installer networks. In recent decades, we have also developed a high level of compatibility with other application leaders within HVAC equipment, access control, door entry systems and audio-video. We believe the time has come to further consolidate interaction among other players and to build seamless and simple integration of our applications,” said Lars Tveen, President Danfoss Heating Segment.

A large network of trained professional installers

“Over many years we have developed a massive network of over 300,000 installers from around the globe. Thanks to close, daily interaction, we have built up mutual trust and understanding with our installers. For them, our brands signify reliability, ease-of-use and effective technical support. In addition, our channel partner programs – Schneider Electric EcoXperts, Somfy Experts and Danfoss installers – are the perfect platforms for us to continue to build and develop connectivity expertise within our channels”, said Somfy CEO Jean-Guillaume Despature.

Commitment to openness and interoperability

“We have already built established connectivity platforms based on our core applications and have experienced significant success with Schneider Electric’s Wiser, KNX, C-Bus, Danfoss’ Link™ and Somfy’s TaHoma. We believe in openness and interoperability. Connectivity protocols and platforms are still very diverse. We have built the technology know-how that incorporates all the major communication protocols and is compatible with all emerging user interfaces and voice controllers. And we are fully committed to long-term compatibility with our legacy platforms,” said Philippe Delorme, Schneider Electric Executive Vice President for Buildings & IT Business.

Under the partnership, Schneider Electric, Danfoss, and Somfy will align their connectivity and technology strategies to develop an open ecosystem, making their products seamlessly interoperable at controller level, or at cloud level through APIs (Application Programming Interface).

Connectivity only makes sense if it meets targeted customer expectations within specific sectors of the market. To this end, the three companies have engaged with customers and partners across multiple markets, to review and create customized solutions aimed at developing use cases with simple and seamless integration of their different applications. These use cases bring real added value for installers and system integrators, as well as key benefits to end users including energy-efficiency, comfort and health, security and user-friendliness.

The three companies are committed to train their installer network to ‘champion’ connectivity in their daily activities, helping customers and end-users to deploy solutions that meet their needs and requirements.The ecosystem’s first three use cases demonstrated at Light+Building 2018 trade fair in Germany are targeting:

Hotel with fully integrated guest room management

High-end residential segment with best-in-breed controls, combined in a seamless integrated system

New housing, or comprehensive home renovation or upgrade, using a new smart-home-ready electrical panel

Illustration: Hotel with fully integrated guest room managementThe benefits for hotel operations are seamless integration of systems, providing a consistent and excellent guest experience, while optimizing energy use without impacting customer comfort and health. The solution also allows hotel facility managers to control everything through a single integrated system.For systems integrators, commissioning the Schneider Electric guest room solution together with Somfy and Danfoss solutions is easy. They have full compatibility with “out of the box” solutions that are tested, validated and documented.

The Connectivity Ecosystem:Open to a dynamic partnership environmentAn unparalleled customer experience“We believe now is the time for us, as major industrial players, to partner together to accelerate on connectivity. Our goal is to promote connectivity and to create value for our customers.Our ambition is to become a leading enabler of global connectivity creating value for our customers. This will require close collaboration with fellow application leaders to develop solutions that work seamlessly together. We aim to attract new partners to join us in the Connectivity Ecosystem who share our vision as to the future of connectivity and to build on the momentum we have already created. Through expert, hands-on support in the pre- and post-sales journey, we are committed to provide an unparalleled customer experience, while improving efficient solutions for specific vertical markets and geographies. In a nutshell, our solutions work simply together.”

About Schneider ElectricSchneider Electric is leading the Digital Transformation of Energy Management and Automation in Homes, Buildings, Data Centers, Infrastructure and Industries.With global presence in over 100 countries, Schneider is the undisputable leader in Power Management – Medium Voltage, Low Voltage and Secure Power, and in Automation Systems. We provide integrated efficiency solutions, combining energy, automation and software. In our global Ecosystem, we collaborate with the largest Partner, Integrator and Developer Community on our Open Platform to deliver real-time control and operational efficiency.We believe that great people and partners make Schneider a great company and that our commitment to Innovation, Diversity and Sustainability ensures that Life Is On everywhere, for everyone and at every moment.

About SomfySOMFY, a French company which is present in around 60 countries, is world leader in the automatic control of openings and closures in homes and buildings, with more than 150 million motors sold worldwide.SOMFY is pioneering a global, interoperable home automation offer, bringing innovative home automation solutions for the connected home, which help transform people's living environment by meeting their needs in terms of comfort, security and energy savings.

Engineering the world of Tomorrow

Danfoss engineers advanced technologies that enable us to build a better, smarter and more efficient tomorrow. In the world’s growing cities, we ensure the supply of fresh food and optimal comfort in our homes and offices, while meeting the need for energy efficient infrastructure, connected systems and integrated renewable energy.

Our solutions are used in areas such as refrigeration, air conditioning, heating, motor control and mobile machinery.

Our innovative engineering dates back to 1933 and today Danfoss holds market-leading positions, employing more than 26,000 and serving customers in more than 100 countries. We are privately held by the founding family.